Stitches and Stepping-Stones

I was lucky enough to receive Ayumi Takahashi’s book, Patchwork, Please! for my birthday last month. It is a fabulous introduction to paper piecing, and just what I needed. My first attempt is going well now that I understand the whole fabric underneath/paper on top so you can’t see it thing! This is the paper pattern for the coaster (Mug Rug) that I have traced from the book ((it should be enlarged to make a pot stand but I am too impatient!))

And here is the back which is actually the front! I am sure you will agree it is coming along nicely, and a great way to use up scraps.

My embroidered toadstool design is nearly finished too. I think I may add some applique flowers and maybe a tiny bee buzzing around in the sky somewhere. I also need to decide what to do with it when it is finished. I may keep it in the frame and use as a wall hanging, I had originally planned to incorporate it into a cushion, but I am not sure my stitching will be able to withstand daily life with a toddler. What else could I do with it??

My Textile Artist Trading Card is finished and ready to be posted off to it’s new owner! I am so pleased with how it has turned out, I love my design and will probably be incorporating it into more things in the future. here is a sneeky peak until I photograph it finished. I hope the new owner likes it!

And the stepping stones in a woodland not too far from us. Very exciting if you are 3 (not so much if you are trying to keep the 3 yr old dry!!)

Have a nice day xxxx

The Dambusters

Have you heard of  the Dam Busters? Seen the film (cue very bad english accents)? You must be humming the music by now….? well it is the 70th anniversary of the famous Second World War RAF Dam Busters’ raid today, and to commemorate this there was a flyover over the Derwent and Ladybower dams, Now I am no expert but this included an old Lancaster Bomber and some small planes, possibly Spitfires??

The Derwent and Ladybower Dam”s hold great significance, as the actual real brave Dam Busters practised their bouncing bomb e here!  See……The 617 Squadron was founded as part of Operation Chastise which was a Second World War raid on Germany’s Ruhr dams using Barnes Wallis’ revolutionary bouncing bomb and modified Lancaster bombers.  Crews trained for the operation at British reservoirs including the Derwent Dam.  The German dams which help provide vital water and electrical supplies were targeted on the night of May 16, 1943, with two dams being successfully destroyed…..Beautifully displayed in The DamBusters film ( I belive it is quite accurate but I am no historian). There is a serious element too, 8 of the 18 planes who set off for that mission didn’t come home that night, 53 dies and 2 were taken prisoner of war.  Very  very sad.

Me and my little (nearly) four-year old walked to the top of Derwent Ridge to see the display today.  For those who have never visited the Peak District, this involved a serious hike up a huge rocky peak to reach the ridge.  It is the first time I have taken him to the peaks, even though we only live 20 mins away as it is not baby/toddler friendly, think steeeeep hills, rocks, stiles, loose rocky paths etc, so it was a lovely surprise when we actually made it to the top without any complaints/200 ft falls/disappearing down a mine shaft etc etc.  I think this was helped in part by his obsession with poo/beetles/mud/puddles, all in plentiful abundance.

Here are a few photos…

The stunning view we had looking out over the Derwent Reservoir, there is a dam situated at either end but too far for little legs to walk to.

Can you spot the well camouflaged Lancaster Bomber?? She glided gracefully through the air below us.

The small planes, are they spitfires??? They were very fast!

Using the rocks as stepping-stones and looking for creatures in the heather was great fun too!

All in all a lovely day. I am very proud that we made it to the top, all the people who walked past us (we were slow but steady!) commented that he was doing really well getting as it is quite a mountain to get up! and we made it down safely too, with a little bribery of sweets to get us right back to the car. I think I may watch the DamBusters film tonight, did I mention they filmed some of it at Derwent Dam??? Go on, treat yourself to an old war film!

An Elf-Whisperer Has Sent Me A Letter!

Some of you may know Ziggy Shortcrust, if you don’t then you really should.  Ziggy Shortcrust is an elf-whisperer. And she has a campervan. And she works in a children’s book museum.  And she is THE most amazing illustrator.  Nope, I am not in the least bit envious!

Ziggy has set herself a mammoth task.  She is singlehandedly reviving the art of the hand-written letter by sending a hand written and illustrated letter every day for the next year!!!  And guess what the postman brought me………………

Only a freaking hand written and illustrated letter!  Just for me!  It is breathtakingly beautiful! My elf sews. She is pretty lovely I am sure you will agree!  If you would like to help Ziggy in her quest all the information can be found here , and please check out her blog, she is such a talent!

Now, I am not much of a letter writer.  My handwriting is not the beautiful script that I would choose.  But I like to sew.  And I have been doing some secret sewing over this weekend.  So a little parcel will soon be on its way to an elf-whisperer I know……

Clothkits Giraffe – Sewing with a Toddler!

Happy 2013 everyone. Sorry that is a whole 20 days late, it has been a bit hectic in my little world. Illness put an end to my new years celebrations, I was tucked up in bed being poorly for 4 days. Couple that with a christmas of hospital visits, a dental abscess, and working at said hospital, it was not the happiest time for my little family. But christmas is now all packed away and we have a brand new year to look forward too!

I have been slowly working through my to do list. I got a fair few craft projects from the knit and stitch show in harrogate last december. One of which was a Giraffe kit to make. I was drawn to the simple design and bought it for me and my little M to hopefully sew together. He loves stuffed teddies and animals, and he is my number one sewing fan. Everything that I make inevitably belongs to him (in his world anyway!). He slept with my owl doorstop for a week… yes it is full of gravel to make it super heavy….. thankfully no injuries sustained!

So I bought the kit for us to sew together. And we did……

This is how it came. The kit included a reel of cotton, needle and full instrctions.

It was really easy to stich together and the instructions very clear and simple. It all came together very fast, even M who is 3 1/2 years old sat on my knee the whole time “helping”.

Concentrating……

After stuffing and a bit of hand stiching to close the gap, giraffe was complete!

Giraffe went to nursery the next day. He enjoyed it!

Christmas Stockings, Gift Bags and Crochet – A Little Behind Schedule

The thing with christmas is it sneaks up on you. Well that it how I am justifying to myself that fact that I have not even done and made half the things I planned too. Either that or I must be the most unorganised person ever (most likely!). There are a few reasons why I seem to have run out of time though. A fabulous long weekend in london with my family seemed to take up a whole week (time warp maybe?), we went to the theatre to see Mama Mia, did sight-seeing and shopping. All great fun but very expensive – how do people afford to live in London? We have also spend time visiting family in Bristol, and managed to squeeze in a trip to @Bristol, a hands-on science museum which my little boy adored. I thought it was pretty good too though, especially as we were able to make our own stop- motion animations using lego men etc. I can see why they have “adult only” evenings, fighting with a 3 1/2 yr old over who gets to press the camera button is not a good look (this was obviously with my own child and not someone else’s)!

Now I am playing catch-up in a race against time (and night shifts……at christmas I know! If anyone is ever thinking of becoming a nurse please take this into consideration!). I have finished my little boy’s quilt, I will try and get some photo’s taken when the sun comes out! I am not completely happy with it, I don’t think I will use the sandwich method again, but you live and learn.

I finished a quilted christmas stocking last night, I am very pleased with it. I used this brill tutorial by Fabricworm which I thoroughly recommend. It is just the right size for a stocking I think, I can fit a few little surprises in there for him 🙂

And I also made a little gift bag for a tiny but very special gift for a friend. Again using a great tutorial.

But the thing with blog-reading is I alway seem to get distracted……….This is amazing…..I wonder if I have time to do it?